New cases have been trending back upward after hitting a weekly low the week of June 20. The past two weeks have seen steady increases. A close look at raw COVID data from the Department of Public Health shows new cases by test date hit a low of 460 for June 20. The following week, cases rose to 550 and last week increased to 669. Due to reporting delays, that number may continue to rise as additional tests from last week are reported.
Massachusetts averaged about 107 new COVID cases a day over the weekend, up slightly over the past week, according to data released by the Department of Public Health.
Hospitalizations also rose this week with the state reporting 101 COVID patients across the state. That number had been below 100 since June 30. There were 35 patients in intensive care and 12 intubated. The state also announced 322 new cases Monday, but that includes Saturday through Monday as the Department of Public Health no longer releases new COVID data on the weekends. There was one new COVID death confirmed. The seven-day average of positive tests is 0.55% and rising for the past week after hitting a record low.
The spread of the much more contagious delta variant has been credited with a rise in cases around the world, even as Massachusetts reached 61% of its population fully vaccinated. About 63% of the state’s population has had at least one dose of vaccine.
But vaccinations have slowed in the past few weeks. There were 6,233 more vaccinations reported today. With few exceptions, new vaccinations have remained below 10,000 a day for the month of July. Vaccinations peaked on March 23 with 123,981 reported in a day.